Winston CHURCHILL attempted to reinforce the RAF at Singapore in late
1941. No.232 Fighter Squadron R.A.F. arrived too late tosignificantly blunt the blows of the IJAAF. On 7 February 1942, S/Ldr.
Lawrence N. LANDELS was killed in action and wassucceeded by S/Ldr. Richard ("Rickey") E.P. BROOKER.

"The other flight had a combat (Sunday morning, February 8) with an
escorted bombing raid, in which they brought down at least twoof the enemy. Rickey was shot down in this engagement and force-landed on
the airdrome, his machine crashing through the fenceon the north side and out onto East Coast Road, where it shed its landing
gear in the ditch on one side, slid across the road on itsbelly, and stopped with its nose in the ditch on the other side. Rickey
himself was unhurt - except for his feelings." ("Last Flight FromSingapore," The MacMillan Company, New York:1943, page 72).

See above for a photograph of Hurricane II, BE 208, "O." Note
the No.232 Squadron insignia ahead of the windscreen. Sq/Ldr.BROOKER surveys the damage!

-Jim Lansdale

Photo Credit: Arthur G. Donahue, D.F.C.

On 10 February 1942, Arthur G. DONAHUE flew with the remaining eight
flyable fighters to leave Singapore before the capitulation.

Sq/Ldr. BROOKER's Hawker Hurricane Mk.II, BE
208, "O" was captured where it had been abandonded in the ditch on the
northside of the airfield (see below).
Note the squadron leader's pennant below the cockpit and the No.232 Fighter
Squadron R.A.F.

("Viking Ship") insignia in front of the windscreen.

According to Japanese correspondent and researcher, Juzo NAKAMURA, this
Hurricane was repaired, flown and evaluated for ashort time by members of the IJAAF and turned over to the Tachikawa GiKen
branch at Singapore.

-Jim Lansdale

Photo credit: Juzo Nakamura via LRA.

By mid-summer 1942, the Tachikawa GiKen branch at Singapore was testing
and evaluating many different Allied aircraft captured in the first months of
the war. Among these captured aircraft, according to Juzo NAKAMURA, was Rickey
BROOKER's HawkerHurricane Mk.II, BE 208,
"O" in IJAAF livery and with the Tachikawa GiKen insignia emblazoned
on the tail (see below).

Photo credit: Asahi Shimbun via
Yoshihito Kurosu and Ryutaro Nambu.

Editor's Note: This photograph originally appeared in "Koku
Asahi," a monthly magazine published by the Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo,Japan. Photographers, where known, are credited on each photograph. Since
no negatives or original prints remain in the AsahiShimbun archives, the original photograph was scanned from a remaining
copy of the "Koku Asahi" magazine and digitallyenhanced with the kind permission of the Asahi Shimbun.